Morphometric characterization of the Rani-khola watershed, Sikkim, India, using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Deepan Rizal; Ghanashyam T. Patle; Parimita Saikia

doi:10.63697/jeshs.2025.10043

Authors

Deepan Rizal Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Central Agricultural University, Ranipool-737135, Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Ghanashyam T. Patle Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Central Agricultural University, Ranipool-737135, Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Parimita Saikia Department of Geography and Geoinformatics, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2897-5670

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63697/jeshs.2025.10043

Keywords:

Morphometric characteristics, Remote Sensing, Rani-khola watershed, Drainage pattern, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Abstract

Morphometric analysis is a quantitative method that involves comparison and statistical determination of the physical and hydrological characteristics of a watershed. Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) have been adopted because they provide detailed spatial data used in watershed characterization. Several morphometric parameters have been determined using a remotely sensed digital elevation model (DEM). The study area, the Rani-khola watershed in Sikkim, India, has a regional elevation ranging from 300 to 4,100 m and is bounded by high mountains of the Himalayas and low valleys. Rani-khola stream is a 4^th order stream which is also a tributary of river Teesta having a total length of 153.88 km. The mean bifurcation ratio was 1.7, which implies that the basin can be categorized as normal, i.e., containing an elongated and dendritic type drainage pattern. The drainage density and stream frequency of the stream were 0.60 km/km² and 0.57 streams/km², respectively, which indicates that the basin exhibits highly permeable subsoil and dense vegetation conditions. The drainage texture of the watershed was calculated as 1.82 km^-1, which indicates a very coarse drainage texture. Further studies integrating ground control points would be necessary to develop an appropriate natural resource management plan.

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